Aston Villa‘s John McGinn feels the growing amount of playing time is “getting a little bit out of hand” as FIFA reveals the 12 venues set to host the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
The FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the US, featuring 32 teams from across the globe. While the competition itself is not new, it has been greatly expanded to include 63 matches, a notable increase from the previous seven-team format.
Earlier this month, FIFA unveiled the competition’s branding. On 28 September, the organisation followed up by announcing the 12 stadiums that will host the 63 matches.
The stadiums announced for the tournament include Audi Field in Washington, D.C., Lumen Field in Seattle, WA, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA, Inter & Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL, MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, GEODIS Park in Nashville, TN, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL, Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, OH, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
In addition to naming the 12 venues, FIFA has revealed that the final will be held at the MetLife Stadium on 13 July 2025.
Considering the anticipated magnitude of the tournament and the stature of the clubs involved, these venues are expected to generate significant revenue. Jason Siegel, President and CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission, expressed that Orlando is “proud and honoured” to be selected as a host city for the matches.
He said: “Inter&Co Stadium, Camping World Stadium, and our world class tourism community are ready to welcome some of the best clubs and their fans from around the world next summer. Thank you to our friends and long-term partners at FIFA for once again putting their trust in Orlando to be a part of this new era in club football.”
McGinn’s playing time concerns
Despite this financial and commercial opportunity, the tournament has faced criticism from player unions and other footballing bodies. In July, the European Leagues (EL) and FIFPRO Europe announced plans to file a complaint with the European Commission (EC) against FIFA‘s match calendar.
In a statement, the union said that the international match calendar is “beyond saturation” and “unsustainable for national leagues,” posing a risk to players’ health. The union explained that “FIFA’s decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests”.
Players have echoed these sentiments as well. During a press conference at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, organised by Aston Villa and Betano to celebrate their new partnership, midfielder John McGinn shared his thoughts on the competition and the increasing number of games from various tournaments.
“I think there is a part of it that’s getting a little bit out of hand, especially the club World Cup next season. I mean, we’re obviously very fortunate to be well paid for doing a job we absolutely love. No one’s getting away from that.
“But at times, the kind of mental side of things… sometimes you just need to switch off. Initially, when we first got into the European competition, I was like, keep the games coming, but it is hard to churn them out when you’re playing over 70 games a season, and then you play international games.
“There’s not a lot of time to rest, so they need to get the balance a bit better. I think there’s a lot of people pushing for that. So, we are supporting that. Of course, we want to be successful and we love playing football, but the balance has to be right.”
McGinn further emphasised the mental aspect of the game: “Football at this level obviously brings amazing highs but tremendous lows at the same time. So it’s like that, and at the end of the season, you just want to go right, hands up. But now the teams in that club World Cup, they’re not going to have any time to do that. So, people’s health is the most important thing.”
